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Background and Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusion In the setting of tissue hypoxia, S‐nitrosylated haemoglobin (SNO‐Hb) plays crucial roles in the control of blood flow. This is associated with decreased oxygen affinity to haemoglobin and increase in tissue oxygenation. Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is primarily performed to improve tissue oxygenation in anaemic patients. RBCs after storage undergo a variety of biochemical and functional alterations, including deficiency of nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity. However, how donor characteristics affect NO levels during RBC storage is unclear. We sought to investigate the association of blood donor age, gender and storage duration with NO and SNO‐Hb levels in blood units.Blood samples from 42 healthy younger (≤30 years) and older (≥45 years) donors were collected and stored for up to 42 days. Total NO kits were used to detect total nitrite and nitrate levels in blood storage solution. SNO‐Hb levels in RBCs were detected and analysed by quantitative mass spectrometry.Total NO levels in the blood storage solution significantly increased with donor age and storage duration. Proteomic analysis revealed that RBCs from older donors, particularly older females, significantly lost SNO‐Hb during storage. Our findings indicate that RBCs from older donors are associated with reduced SNO‐Hb levels and increased NO metabolites in storage solution after ≥35 days storage.The findings suggest stored RBCs from older donors may have reduced capacity to deliver oxygen to tissues under hypoxia. A shorter shelf life may be required for storing RBCs from older donors, particularly older females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by arachnodactyly, multiple joint contractures, progressive kyphoscoliosis, pectus deformity and abnormal crumpled ears. FBN2 is the only gene currently known to be associated with CCA. In this study, we report on a prenatal case presented with skeletal, cardiac and spinal malformations. And his father had elongated limbs, contractures of the proximal interphalangeal joints, high myopia and scoliosis. We conducted whole exome sequencing (WES) on the fetus-parental trio and a heterozygous variant (hg19 chr5:127,673,685, c.3598 + 4A > G, NM_001999.4) in intron 27 of the FBN2 gene was successfully identified, inherited from the father. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to evaluate the potential splicing effect of this variant, which confirmed that the variant caused a deletion of exon 27 (126 bp) by disrupting the splice-donor site and destroyed the 17th calcium-binding epidermal growth factor-like (cbEGF) domain. Our research not only finds the etiology of the disease in affected individuals and expands the mutation spectrum of FBN2 gene, but also provides genetic counseling and fertility guidance for this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arachidonic acid metabolites are a family of bioactive lipids derived from membrane phospholipids. They are involved in cancer progression, but arachidonic acid metabolite profiles and their related biosynthetic pathways remain uncertain in colorectal cancer (CRC). To compare the arachidonic acid metabolite profiles between CRC patients and healthy controls, quantification was performed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based analysis of serum and tissue samples. Metabolomics analysis delineated the distinct oxidized lipids in CRC patients and healthy controls. Prostaglandin (PGE2)-derived metabolites were increased, suggesting that the PGE2 biosynthetic pathway was upregulated in CRC. The qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analyses showed that the expression level of PGE2 synthases, the key protein of PGE2 biosynthesis, was upregulated in CRC and positively correlated with the CD68+ macrophage density and CRC development. Our study indicates that the PGE2 biosynthetic pathway is associated with macrophage infiltration and progression of CRC tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal properties and heat budget of marine heatwaves (MHWs) on the northern South China Sea (SCS) continental shelf are investigated. The winter MHWs are generally the warmest, gradually weakening in the following seasons. In winter and spring, all events have a temperature elevated by more than 1 °C while approximately half of the MHWs in summer and fall have temperatures elevated by less than 1 °C. The MHW duration is longest in winter, second longest in fall, and shortest in spring. Three types of MHWs have been defined based on the main heat source; i.e., air–sea heat flux dominant, ocean advection dominant, and mixed types. Air–sea heat flux is the dominant source for more than 80% of MHWs in winter and fall, ~ 70% of MHWs in spring, and ~ 50% in summer. There are slightly more ocean advection dominant events than Mixed-MHWs. Ocean advection always weakens an air–sea heat flux dominant MHW and enhances other types of events, so that the net heat supply is smallest for air–sea heat flux dominant MHW types. Ocean advection is mainly modulated by cross-slope water exchanges along the continental shelf edge. The offshore (onshore) cross-slope flow induces a negative (positive) contribution to MHW development. These results provide new insight into the seasonal cycle of MHWs on the northern SCS continental shelf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hole transport materials in heterojunction solar cells (e. g. perovskite solar cells (PSCs)) play critical roles in determining charge transport dynamics, photovoltaic performance and device stability. This review will present an overview ranging from the structural design and compositional engineering to the stability optimization. Different approaches in managing material structures and doping composition have been summarized in both regular and inverted PSCs, in order to modulate the film morphology, density, conductivity and device reliability. The future research trends and the challenges of hole transport materials are discussed in detail. [Display omitted] Charge transport materials in heterojunction solar cells (e.g. perovskite solar cells (PSCs)) play critical roles in determining charge dynamics, photovoltaic performance and device stability. Currently, the conventional hole transport materials (HTMs), spiro-OMeTAD and PTAA, exhibit remarkable power conversion efficiencies in PSCs owing to high thin-film quality and matched energy alignment. However, they often show high material cost, low carrier mobility and poor stability, which greatly limit their practical applications. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to design of alternative low-cost HTMs and to engineer the doping composition. This review summarizes recent advances made in structural optimization and doping engineering of organic HTMs for efficient and stable PSCs. It begins with fundamental roles of HTMs in different device architectures, followed by the strategies to tune the charge dynamics through optimizing the molecular structures and properties. The working principles of the dopants and additives are discussed to provide a comprehensive understanding of compositional roles in device efficiency and stability. Different approaches in managing material structures and doping composition to improve the device reliability have been summarized in both regular and inverted PSCs. Moreover, mechanical stability and scalable deposition techniques are briefly discussed. Finally, we give our perspectives on the ways to further develop efficient and stable HTMs for PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trihelix (TH) proteins are a family of plant-specific transcription factors that play a role in light response and are extensively involved in plant growth and development, as well as in various stress responses. However, the function of TH genes in Brassica napus (B. napus) remains unclear, as does the evolution and differentiation pattern of TH genes in Brassica plants. Here, we identified a total of 455 TH genes in seven species, including six Brassica species and Arabidopsis, which were grouped into five clades, GT-1, GT-2, GTγ, SH4, and SIP1, each with 69, 142, 44, 55, and 145 members, respectively. The types and distributions of motifs of the TH proteins and the structures of the TH genes are conserved in the same subgroup, and some variations in certain amino acid residues occur in B. napus when inheriting motifs from Brassica rapa (B. rapa) and Brassica oleracea (B. oleracea). Collinearity analysis revealed that the massive expansion of TH genes in tetraploid species was attributed to the hetero-tetraploidization of diploid ancestors and gene duplication events within the tetraploid species. Comparative analysis of the membership numbers of five subgroups in different species revealed that the GT-2 and SIP1 genes underwent significant expansion during evolution, possibly to support the better adaptation of plants to their environments. The differential expression of the BnaTH genes under five stresses indicates that the BnaTH genes are involved in plant responses to stresses such as drought, cold, and heat. The presence of different stress-responsive cis-elements in the upstream promoter region of the genes indicated that BnaTH genes have the potential to cope with variable environments. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR analyses also confirmed that five TH genes respond to different abiotic stresses. Our results provide information and candidates for further studies on the role of TH genes in stress resistance of B. napus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gossypium hirsutum is an important source of natural textile fibers. Gossypol, which is a sesquiterpenoid compound mainly existing in the cotton pigment glands, can facilitate resistance to the stress from diseases and pests. The level of gossypol in the cotton is positively correlated to the quantity of pigment glands. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of gossypol synthesis and gland morphogenesis are still poorly understood, especially from a transcriptional perspective. The transcripts of young leaves and ovules at 30 DPA of the glanded plants and glandless plants were studied by RNA-Seq and 865 million clean reads were obtained. A total of 34,426 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through comparative transcriptome analysis. Genes related to gossypol synthesis or gland morphogenesis displayed significant differential expression between the two cultivars. Functional annotation revealed that the candidate genes related to catalytic activity, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and biomolecular decomposition processes. Our work herein unveiled several potential candidate genes related to gossypol synthesis or gland morphogenesis and may provide useful clues for a breeding program of cotton cultivars with low cottonseed gossypol contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic social stress is closed related to major depressive disorder, torturing millions of people and may destroy their lives. The prefrontal cortex is one of the core brain areas involved in pathological development and behavior changes in depression. CELF4 is a neuronal RNA-binding protein and plays an essential role in RNA processing. It is closely related to some neurological disorders, including seizures and neuroticism. Most recently, GWAS analysis indicates it is one of the significant genes associated with depression. Nonetheless, we are still unknown whether and how CELF4 gets involved in depression. Here, we reported that the protein and mRNA expression levels of CELF4 in the PFC were decreased in the CSDS depression model, as well as the spine number. Furthermore, we disturbed CELF4 expression in the PFC by using the AAV-shCELF4 virus. Unexpectedly, the spine number showed a decrease in PFC because of the impaired CELF4 expression, and the AAV-shCELF4 mice displayed depression-like behaviors. Our results suggest that CELF4 is critical for spine number and acts a critical role in depression-like behaviors of mice. • The protein and mRNA levels of CELF4 were decreased in the PFC of depression mice. • Decreased spine number was observed in the PFC of depression mice. • CELF4 knockdown impaired the spine number in the PFC. • CELF4 knockdown mice showed depression-like behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• For the first time prevent the dissolution and reaction loss of boron carbide particles by using carbon-coated boron carbide particles as raw materials in the reaction-bonding of boron carbide by Si infiltration. • A ceramic skeleton of the nano-SiC particles-coated and -bonded boron carbide particles and resultant mechanical properties. • In situ reaction to form nano silicon carbide particles in reaction bonded boron carbide composites. To tackle the dissolution problem of boron carbide particles in silicon infiltration process, carbon-coated boron carbide particles were fabricated for the preparation of the reaction-bonded boron carbide composites. The carbon coating can effectively protect the boron carbide from reacting with liquid Si and their dissolution, thus maintaining the irregular shape of boron carbide particles and preventing the growth of boron carbide particles and reaction formed SiC regions. Furthermore, the nano-SiC particles, originated from the reaction of the carbon coating and the infiltrated Si, uniformly coated on the surfaces of boron carbide particles, thus forming a ceramic skeleton of the nano-SiC particles-coated and -bonded boron carbide particles. The Vickers hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composites can be increased by 26 %, 45 %, and 37 % respectively, by using carbon-coated boron carbide particles as raw materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas oryzae pathovars oryzae (Xoo) and oryzicola (Xoc) infect rice, causing bacterial blight and bacterial leaf streak, respectively, which are two economically important bacterial diseases in paddy fields. The interactions of Xoo and Xoc with rice can be used as models for studying fundamental aspects of bacterial pathogenesis and host tissue specificity. However, an improved vector system for gene expression analysis is desired for Xoo and Xoc because some broad host range vectors that can replicate stably in X. oryzae pathovars are low‐copy number plasmids. To overcome this limitation, we developed a modular plasmid assembly system to transfer the functional DNA modules from the entry vectors into the pHM1‐derived backbone vectors on a high‐copy number basis. We demonstrated the feasibility of our vector system for protein detection, and quantification of virulence gene expression under laboratory conditions and in association with host rice and nonhost tobacco cells. This system also allows execution of a mutant complementation equivalent to the single‐copy chromosomal integration system and tracing of pathogens in rice leaf. Based on this assembly system, we constructed a series of protein expression and promoter‐probe vectors suitable for classical double restriction enzyme cloning. These vector systems enable cloning of all genes or promoters of interest from Xoo and Xoc strains. Our modular assembly system represents a versatile and highly efficient toolkit for gene expression analysis that will accelerate studies on interactions of X. oryzae with rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical metasurfaces have attracted growing attention in plasmonic structural color in recent years due to their supreme performance in display and imaging technologies. However, real‐life applications of optical metasurfaces so far are often hindered by their complex, expensive, and time‐consuming nanofabrication methods, as well as sophisticated optical measurement systems. Herein, a flexible metasurface filter, based on periodic gold nanorods, capable of changing the output color by simple rotation of a linear polarizer is proposed and demonstrated. This phenomenon is enabled by switching of resonance plasmons in the gold nanorods with the polarization of incident light. Subsequent rotation of the input polarizer leads to an output of two distinct colors and their combinations. Moreover, metasurfaces consisting of Au nanorods with different orientations are integrated into a single flexible substrate. Information can be therefore encoded into the orientations of Au nanorods and readily decoded with the color of the metasurface under polarized illumination of white light‐emitting diode without complex optical components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: 2,4‐Dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (DIMBOA) and DIMBOA‐glucoside (DIMBOA‐Glc) are anti‐insect benzoxazinoids in maize, yet very little information is known about how they are regulated.Reverse genetics, kinase activity analysis, phytohormone and DIMBOA/DIMBOA‐Glc quantification, bioassays and transcriptome analysis were employed to study the function of ZmMPK6, a mitogen‐activated protein kinase, in maize response to herbivory.ZmMPK6 was rapidly activated by wounding and simulated herbivory. Silencing ZmMPK6 in maize A188 compromised simulated herbivory‐induced ethylene levels but not those of jasmonic acid or salicylic acid, and the ZmMPK6‐silenced plants exhibited elevated DIMBOA/DIMBOA‐Glc and insect resistance. An ethylene complementation experiment revealed that ZmMPK6 repressed the accumulation of DIMBOA/DIMBOA‐Glc in an ethylene‐dependent manner. Transcriptome analysis revealed that ZmMPK6 might meditate the transcription of BX1 by controlling a MYB transcription factor that is likely to be located in the ethylene signalling pathway and, furthermore, ZmMPK6 and ethylene signalling also specifically and commonly regulate the transcription of other benzoxazinoid biosynthetic genes. We also show that different maize lines have very different responses to simulated herbivory in terms of ZmMPK6 activation, ethylene emission and benzoxazinoid levels.These results uncover that ZmMPK6 and ethylene pathway are novel repressors of DIMBOA/DIMBOA‐Glc and provide new insight into the regulatory mechanisms underlying these two pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stephanandra incisa is a wild-type shrub with beautiful leaves and white flowers and is commonly used as a garden decoration accessory. However, the limited availability of genomic data of S. incisa has restricted its breeding process. Here, we identified EST-SSR markers using de novo transcriptome sequencing. In this study, a transcriptome database containing 35,251 unigenes, having an average length of 985 bp, was obtained from S. incisa. From these unigene sequences, we identified 5,555 EST-SSRs, with a distribution density of one SSR per 1.60 kb. Dinucleotides (52.96%) were the most detected SSRs, followed by trinucleotides (34.64%). From the EST-SSR loci, we randomly selected 100 sites for designing primer and used the DNA of 60 samples to verify the polymorphism. The average value of the effective number of alleles (Ne), Shannon's information index (I), and expective heterozygosity (He) was 1.969, 0.728, and 0.434, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value was in the range of 0.108 to 0.669, averaging 0.406, which represented a middle polymorphism level. Cluster analysis of S. incisa were also performed based on the obtained EST-SSR data in our work. As shown by structure analysis, 60 individuals could be classified into two groups. Thus, the identification of these novel EST-SSR markers provided valuable sequence information for analyzing the population structure, genetic diversity, and genetic resource assessment of S. incisa and other related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed within-trial cost-effectiveness of a shared care program (SC, n = 339) for pregnancy outcomes compared to usual care (UC, n = 361), as implemented in a randomized trial of Chinese women with gestational diabetes (GDM). SC consisted of an individualized dietary advice and physical activity counseling program. The UC was a one-time group education program. The effectiveness was measured by number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one macrosomia/large for gestational age (LGA) infant. The cost-effectiveness was measured by incremental cost-effectiveness ratio in terms of cost (2012 Chinese Yuan/US dollar) per case of macrosomia and LGA prevented. The study took both a health care system and a societal perspective. This study found that the NNT was 16/14 for macrosomia/LGA. The incremental cost for treating a pregnant woman was ¥1,877 ($298) from a health care system perspective and ¥2,056 ($327) from a societal perspective. The cost of preventing a case of macrosomia/LGA from the two corresponding perspectives were ¥30,032/¥26,278 ($4,775/$4,178) and ¥32,896/¥28,784 ($5,230/$4,577), respectively. Considering the potential severe adverse health and economic consequences of a macrosomia/LGA infant, our findings suggest that implementing this lifestyle intervention for women with GDM is an efficient use of health care resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jasmonic acid (JA) plays a critical role in plant defenses against insects and necrotrophic fungi. Wounding or lepidopteran insect feeding rapidly induces a burst of JA in plants, which usually reaches peak values within 1 to 2 h. The induced JA is converted to JA‐Ile and perceived by the COI1‐JAZ co‐receptor, leading to activation of the transcription factors MYC2 and its homologs, which further induce JA‐responsive genes. Although much is known about JA biosynthesis and catabolism enzymes and JA signaling, how JA biosynthesis and catabolism are regulated remain unclear. Here, we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana MYC2 functions additively with MYC3 and MYC4 to regulate wounding‐induced JA accumulation by directly binding to the promoters of genes function in JA biosynthesis and catabolism to promote their transcription. MYC2 also controls the transcription of JAV1 and JAM1, which are key factors controlling JA biosynthesis and catabolism, respectively. In addition, we also found that MYC2 could bind to the MYC2 promoter and self‐inhibit its own expression. This work illustrates the central role of MYC2/3/4 in controlling wounding‐induced JA accumulation by regulating the transcription of genes involved in JA biosynthesis and catabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid mediators (LMs) play a pivotal role in the induction and resolution of inflammation. To identify and elucidate their involvement during virus infection, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) based liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry lipidomic profiling of 62 lipid species was performed in this study. Results show that RAW264.7 macrophages differentially produce specific LMs signals depending on difference in virus pathogenicity. Integration of large-scale lipidomics with targeted gene expression data revealed mediators, such as RVD3, 18-HEPE, 11(12)-EET etc. correlated with the pathogenic phase of the infection. The herpes simplex virus (HSV)-induced keratitis model demonstrates that 11(12)-EET treatment represents a novel alternative for treating viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an allergic pulmonary disease caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus colony in the airways. Due to the diversity of disease manifestations and physicians' incomplete knowledge of ABPA, patients with ABPA are often misdiagnosed and given poor prognosis. Objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis status among patients with ABPA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 75 patients diagnosed as ABPA in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University between October 2008 and June 2018. Results: Among 75 patients, 28% had asthma as the predisposing condition and 69% suffered from misdiagnosis before ABPA diagnosis was made, among which 21% were misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. About 34% of patients had eosinophil count below 500 cells/μL and 25% had total serum IgE level <1000 IU/mL. Nearly half of patients did not meet the diagnostic criteria of ABPA and all the patients who overlapped with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) did not meet the diagnostic criteria of standard ABPA. Patients who did not fully meet the diagnostic criteria were more likely treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and antibiotics, but more difficult to attain response and remission and easier to develop advanced ABPA. Conclusions: This study demonstrates an unsatisfactory situation of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of ABPA, including a high misdiagnosis rate, uncertainty in the diagnosis of ABPA, lack of standardization in treatment and relatively poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-life and high-reliability bearing is a key technology for developing the next generation of reusable liquid rocket turbopumps. We proposed a concept of superconducting compound bearing to combine the advantages of the superconducting magnetic field and the hydrodynamic fluid field. At the start-up, stop, and low-speed stages, the turbopump rotor system will be suspended by superconducting magnetic field to avoid mechanical friction and wear. The participation of hydrodynamic fluid field will ensure the stability during high-speed operational stage. An axial-type superconducting compound bearing with six tilting pads was erected, and an experimental verification of compound feasibility was conducted on an established testing device. The maximum rotational speed for experiments was 10 000 rpm, and the minimum bearing clearance was 100 μm. Due to the temperature rise on the superconducting pads during rotating, the superconducting magnetic force of the bearing decreases obviously versus the rotational speed. When the bearing clearance was decreased to 100 μm, this decay tendency was slowed down after 6000 rpm, even with an increase of 0.8 K in the cooling temperature of the liquid nitrogen container. It was attributed to the generation of hydrodynamic fluid-film force, and the value is 19.2 N at least. The monitored vibration results also reflected the different characteristics of the two physical fields. The verified superconducting compound bearing is a promising alternative for the rolling element bearings in the existing rocket turbopumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism found that children born to mothers with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of being overweight as they grow up. The study also found that intensive treatment of gestational diabetes during pregnancy improved outcomes for both mother and baby, but did not reduce the risk of childhood obesity. The researchers suggest that prevention and intensive management of gestational diabetes are important in reducing the risk of childhood obesity. They also recommend that children from gestational diabetes pregnancies adopt a healthy lifestyle from an early age to reduce the risk of future health problems. Further research is needed to better understand these relationships and develop effective health management strategies for women with gestational diabetes and their children. [Extracted from the article]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. MicroRNA (miRNA)-544 is an important cancer-associated RNA that is downregulated in multiple types of cancer. However, the role of miR-544 in ESCC progression remains unknown. In the present study, miR-544 expression level was determined via RT-qPCR in 30 pairs of ESCC and adjacent normal tissues and in a panel of ESCC cell lines. Cell proliferation and cell apoptosis were assessed by MTT and flow cytometry assays. Luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis were conducted to verify E2F transcription factor 5 (E2F5), an oncogene in ESCC, as a novel target gene of miR-544. The results illustrated that miR-544 is frequently downregulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-544 in ESCC cells resulted in decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis. Thus, E2F5 was identified as a target of miR-544, and its expression was negatively correlated with miR-544 expression in clinical ESCC tissues. More importantly, overexpression of miR-544 led to increased sensitivity of ESCC cells to cisplatin, an anticancer drug. Overall, these findings indicate that miR-544 serves as a tumor suppressor by targeting E2F5; thus, miR-544 may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the three major threats to human health identified by WHO. Dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are well established as common CVD risk factors. However, controversies exist on the effects of gut flora on cardiovascular disease (CVD). Current evidence suggests that gut microbiota is a double-edged sword for CVD risk, and its effects are largely determined by the metabolites of the gut microbiota. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), as one of the metabolites of gut flora, is consistently associated with higher CVD risk. A few studies have emerged providing early evidence about the safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating cardiovascular diseases by regulating gut flora. In this article, we review and interpret the existing evidence as well as explore the potential of intestinal flora as novel therapeutic targets of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia is an economically, ecologically and phylogenetically valuable genus in the family Theaceae. The frequent interspecific hybridization and polyploidization makes this genus phylogenetically and taxonomically under controversial and require detailed investigation. Chloroplast (cp) genome sequences have been used for cpDNA marker development and genetic diversity evaluation. Our research newly sequenced the chloroplast genome of Camellia japonica using Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform, and retrieved five other chloroplast genomes of Camellia previously published for comparative analyses, thereby shedding lights on a deeper understanding of the applicability of chloroplast information. The chloroplast genome sizes ranged in length from 156,607 to 157,166 bp, and their gene structure resembled those of other higher plants. There were four categories of SSRs detected in six Camellia cpDNA sequences, with the lengths ranging from 10 to 17bp. The Camellia species exhibited different evolutionary routes that lhbA and orf188, followed by orf42 and psbZ, were readily lost during evolution. Obvious codon preferences were also shown in almost all protein-coding cpDNA and amino acid sequences. Selection pressure analysis revealed the influence of different environmental pressures on different Camellia chloroplast genomes during long-term evolution. All Camellia species, except C. crapnelliana, presented the identical rate of amplification in the IR region. The datasets obtained from the chloroplast genomes are highly supportive in inferring the phylogenetic relationships of the Camellia taxa, indicating that chloroplast genome can be used for classifying interspecific relationships in this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure silver alone or in cooperation with other self-lubricating materials exerts outstanding frictional modification effects owing to its remarkable ductility and low shear stress. In this study, puzzling tribological behaviors of pure silver in liquid nitrogen, characterized by larger coefficient of friction but slighter wear degree compared with room-temperature condition, were experimentally observed on a self-developed reciprocating-type cryogenic tribometer at first. Molecular dynamic simulations about the adsorption and tribological properties of pure silver in the environments of liquid nitrogen, water, room temperature, and low temperature, were conducted to reproduce the experimental phenomena and reveal the underlying mechanism. Furthermore, a physical explanation based on the generated hexagonal close-packed (HCP) dislocations by sliding friction was given. • Tribological behaviors of pure silver in liquid nitrogen were tested on a self-developed cryogenic tribometer. • Pure silver was found to have a large coefficient of friction but slight wear degree in liquid nitrogen. • Molecular dynamic simulations were conducted to reveal the underlying cryogenic tribological mechanism. • Sliding friction in liquid nitrogen generated fewer HCP dislocations inside pure silver than room-temperature sliding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patient underwent CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the mass in the tail of the pancreas. 10.12659/AJCR.921269 3 Boninsegna E, Zamboni GA, Facchinelli D. CT imaging of primary pancreatic lymphoma: experience from three referral centres for pancreatic diseases. Repeat abdominal contrast-enhanced CT after treatment (G, H) Pancreatic lymphoma is an uncommon disease which may mimic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.[1],[2] The differential diagnosis is important as the prognosis of pancreatic lymphoma is certainly more favorable with a chance of cure with chemoimmunotherapy.[2] Peri-pancreatic fat stranding and vessel encasement are common in pancreatic lymphoma, without vascular infiltration.[3] Declarations Conflict of Interest The authors declare no competing interests. [Extracted from the article]

There are thousands of lipid species existing in cells, which belong to eight different categories. Lipids are the essential building blocks of cells. Recent studies have started to unveil the important functions of lipids in regulating cell metabolism. However, we are still at a very early stage in fully understanding the physiological and pathological functions of lipids. The application of lipidomics for studying lipid metabolism can provide a direct readout of the cellular status and broadens our understanding of the mechanisms that underpin metabolic disease states. This review provides an introduction to lipid metabolism and its role in modulating homeostasis and immunity. We also describe representative applications of lipidomics for studying lipid metabolism in inflammation-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian green propolis is known as an appreciable natural antioxidant with abundant polyphenolic compounds. For quality control, a fingerprint-efficacy study of Brazilian green propolis was carried out in this work. Chemical fingerprints of Brazilian green propolis from 22 different sources were determined by HPLC and investigated by similarity analysis. The fingerprint-efficacy relationships between chemical fingerprint and DPPH radical-scavenging activity were established. The results showed that 14 characteristic common peaks were identified, and 9 compounds were discovered with free radical-scavenging activities. Caffeoylquinic acids and artepillin C might be the major effective components for quality control of Brazilian green propolis due to their specificity and strong antioxidant activity. This study provides new markers for the quality assessment of Brazilian green propolis and its derived products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaborative relay network plays an important role in a smart grid application thanks to its high efficiency. However, energy and bandwidth management need to be further improved to extend network life cycle and reduce potential network segmentation. Aiming to balance the network energy consumption, this paper proposes an adaptive relay node selection algorithm based on the opportunity (OAR). In OAR, the potential relay nodes are chosen to act as candidates based on bit error rate (BER) estimation, and then, the relay is adaptively and opportunistically determined for packet forwarding. Residual energy is considered to avoid fast energy exhaustion for some certain nodes. The simulation results show that the proposed OAR algorithm improves the network performance by deferring the earliest death time of the nodes and extending the network life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a retrospective study related to treatment for pyogenic granuloma after burns (PGB), which are second-degree burns. Topics discussed include PGB diagnosis that depends on history, clinical features, and histological examination; treatments such as full-thickness excision and conservative treatment were performed; and conservative treatments that include debridement, regular or silver nanoparticle dressing, and use of antibiotic-based bacteria culture results.

This paper proposes a hybrid factor strategy for cuckoo search algorithm by combining constant factor and varied factor. The constant factor is used to the dimensions of each solution which are closer to the corresponding dimensions of the best solution, while the varied factor using a random or a chaotic sequence is utilized to farer dimensions. For each solution, the dimension whose distance to the corresponding one of the best solution is shorter than mean distance of all dimensional distances will be regarded as the closer one, otherwise as the farer one. A suit of 20 benchmark functions are employed to verify the performance of the proposed strategy, and the results show the improvement in effectiveness and efficiency of the hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), is a chronically intestinal autoimmune disease, the pathological mechanisms of which are not very clear. Wild type p-53 induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1), a serine/threonine protein phosphatase, has been reported to negatively regulate the inflammation in sepsis. However, the role of Wip1 in IBD is not very clear. Therefore, colonic tissues and peripheral blood from patients with IBD and healthy controls were collected to analyzed mRNA and protein expression of Wip1 using the method of qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Immune cells of neutrophils, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, B cells, monocytes and intestinal epithelial cells were isolated to analyze Wip1 expression by means of qPCR. Expression of Wip 1 was analyzed after the cells were stimulated by various of cytokines. DSS-colitis model was induced on the wild type (WT) and Wip 1 knock out (Wip1 −/− ) mice, and cytokines expression were analyzed in intestinal lamina propria from WT and Wip1 − / − mice. Neutrophil specific markers were examined in intestinal lamina propria from WT and Wip1 − / − mice. Moreover, neutrophils were isolated from bone marrow of WT and Wip1 − / − mice to examine neutrophil migration with or without inhibitors of signaling pathway in vitro . The expression of Wip 1 mRNA and protein were found to be significantly decreased in patients with active IBD compared with healthy controls. And Wip 1 was mainly expressed on neutrophils from peripheral blood and colonic tissues. Moreover, expression of Wip1 was significantly decreased on neutrophils after the stimulation of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Wip1 − / − mice were more susceptible to DSS induced colitis compared to WT mice, and expressed more pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-17A, etc). Moreover, expression of neutrophil specific markers (e.g. Ly6G, CD11b, elastase, etc) was also increased in Wip1 − / − mice. The migration of neutrophils from the bone marrow of Wip1 mice was marked increased, which was mediated by MAPK-P38 signaling pathway. Wip1 plays an importantly protective role in the pathogenesis of IBD. Therefore, Wip1 may be used a new targets in the treatment for IBD in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the coarsening of boron carbide grains during the infiltration of porous boron carbide preforms by molten silicon with respect to fabrication of reaction-bonded boron carbide ceramics. Experimental results reveal that the shape of boron carbide grains evolve from the irregular shape to faceted shape due to dissolution-precipitation during infiltration. For infiltration temperatures below 1750 °C, the boron carbide grains are irregular and exhibit an unimodal size distribution, which can be ascribed to the normal grain growth. The growth of the irregular grains follow a cubic law of diffusion control. In contrast, for infiltration temperatures above 1750 °C, the boron carbide grains become faceted and exhibit a bimodal size distribution, indicative of the typical abnormal grain growth. The abnormal growth of faceted grains is proposed to be controlled by coalescence-enhanced two-dimensional nucleation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulator of the telomere elongation helicase1 (RTEL1) gene plays a crucial role in the DNA double-stand break-repair pathway by maintaining genomic stability. Recent epidemiological studies showed that the rs2297440 polymorphism in the RTEL1 gene was a potential risk locus for glioma development, but the results were inconclusive. To clarify the association between this polymorphism and the risk of glioma, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were systematically searched to identify all relevant published studies up to 30 August 2015. Four eligible studies were finally included. The pooled results indicated that the RTEL1 rs2297440 polymorphism moderately increased the risk of glioma in all genetic models. A comparison of the dominant model CT + CC versus TT (OR 1.40; 95 % CI 1.24-1.60; p < 0.001) indicated that having the C allele conferred a 40 % increased risk of developing glioma. In a subgroup analysis based on geographic location (Europe, Asia, and America), there was an association between the rs2297440 polymorphism and the risk of glioma in all three areas. The results of the subgroup analysis based on source of control indicated an elevated risk of glioma in population-based control studies. This meta-analysis demonstrates that the RTEL1 rs2297440 polymorphism plays a moderate, but significant role in the risk of glioma. Further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is mainly characterized by intestinal tissue damage, which is caused by excessive autoimmune responses poorly controlled by corresponding regulatory mechanisms. WISP1, which belongs to the CCN protein family, is a secreted matricellular protein regulating several inflammatory pathways, such as Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and has been reported in several diseases including cancer. Here we examined the expression, regulatory mechanisms, and functions of WISP1 in IBD. WISP1 mRNA and protein expression was upregulated in colonic biopsies and lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) of IBD patients compared with those of healthy controls. Tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α induced WISP1 expression in LPMC from healthy controls. Consistently, WISP1 mRNA expression was downregulated in colonic biopsies from IBD patients who had achieved clinical remission with infliximab (IFX). Furthermore, WISP1 expression was also found to be increased in colons from 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid- (TNBS-) induced mice compared with those from control mice. Further studies confirmed that administration of rWISP1 could aggravate TNBS-induced colitis in vivo. Therefore, we concluded that WISP1 is increased in IBD and contributes to the proinflammatory cascades in the gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The communication reports an exploratory experimental study on the effects of nitrogen annealing on lithium ion intercalation in nickel-doped lithium trivanadate cathodic electrodes for lithium ion batteries. It shows good rate performance with discharge capacities of 348.6, 252.6, 191.9 and 96.7 mAh g at 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 5 C, respectively. Nitrogen annealing resulted in the formation of parasitic secondary-phase LiVO and appreciably increased tetravalent vanadium ions compensated with oxygen vacancies, which would enhance the electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusivity and promote the interface interaction and deintercalation process, and thus lead to the enhanced lithium ion intercalation properties. The possible impacts of the parasitic secondary-phase LiVO on the lithium ion intercalation performance have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 − x Yb x Cu 2 O 8 + δ (Bi-2212) single crystals with x = 0.000, 0.005, 0.010 and 0.020 have been prepared by self-flux method. The influences of Yb doping on the formation of the dislocations in the lattice structures, as well as the related current carrying capability are investigated. Due to the SQUID measurement and the Bean model calculation, the maximum critical current density ( J c) is obtained when the Yb doping content is x = 0.010, though the T c and the carrier concentration are not in the optimal region. Based on the HRTEM analyses of the Ca–O and Cu–O 2 layers, the optimal dislocation density in the Cu–O 2 layers is deduced according to the number of the dislocations per unit area. Besides, the sizes of the dislocations also prove the effectiveness of Yb substitution on the enhancement of the current carrying capability in Bi-2212 single crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There tend to be more crashes occurring in freeway diverging segments due to increasing traffic conflicts between diverging vehicles and nondiverging vehicles. The diverging segments have a safety impact on the precedent basic segments and the following off ramps. It is always a challenge to accurately define the safety influential area of freeway diverging segments. In previous studies, fixed buffer in size is pregiven for crash frequency analysis in diverging segments, which lacks theoretical and practical support. In this study, the safety influential area was investigated from the statistical point of view. Data from a geocoded GIS crash database for Colorado Springs metropolitan area was used; the statistically significant factors associated with crash frequency were examined for the spatial influence of freeway diverging segments. Also, the generalized linear models with negative binomial link function were applied to predict the crash frequency for freeway diverging segments and off ramps based on the influential area. The results may give some insights into the causation of crashes on diverging segments and off-ramp intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phospholenes containing one or two methyl groups at the 3 and 4 positions on the heterocyclic ring and bis(trimethylsilyl)amino groups on phosphorus were prepared by treating 1-bromo or 1-chlorophospholenes with lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide. Several P(V) derivatives of these 2-and 3-phospholenes were prepared by oxidation with hexachloroethane. The chloro groups in the resulting P-chloro-N-trimethylsilyl derivatives were subsequently replaced by phenoxy groups to afford P-phenoxy-N-trimethylsilyl substituted ring compounds. The P-phenoxy-N-trimethylsilyl derivative was hydrolyzed to the corresponding P-amino phosphine oxide; treated with trifluoroethanol to form a new trispirocyclic phosphazene; and copolymerized with Me2P(OPh) = NSiMe3to give a new phosphazene copolymer containing the phospholene ring (Mw= 3.8 × 104Da). These new compounds were characterized by1H,13C, and31P NMR spectroscopy. The spirocyclic phosphazene was also characterized by X-ray crystallography. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A facile synthesis of mesoporous V 2 O 5 nanosheets has been developed by a simple hydrothermal method and subsequent instantaneous heating and calcination. These V 2 O 5 nanosheets exhibit ultrastable capacity retention at different current density, and also show excellent rate capability, maintaining a reversible capacity of 118 mA h g −1 at 6000 mA g −1 after 1000 cycles. The remarkable performance results from their unique mesoporous nanosheet structure as well as the presence of noticeable amount of tetravalent vanadium ions and the attendant oxygen vacancies in V 2 O 5 , which have substantially improved electronic-ionic transport and mitigated the internal mechanical stress induced by the volume variation of the material upon cycling. These results demonstrate the significant potential of mesoporous V 2 O 5 nanosheets for high power and long life batteries. Moreover, the simple and general synthesis method is suitable for the preparation of a variety of electrode material with unique mesoporous nanostructure containing oxygen vacancies for electrochemical batteries and supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is concerned on the effect of infiltration temperature on the components, microstructure, and mechanical properties of reaction-bonded boron carbide (RBBC) ceramics. RBBC ceramics were fabricated by reactive infiltration of molten silicon (Si) into porous preforms containing boron carbide (B4C) and free carbon. It has been found that infiltration temperatures have significant influence on the infiltration reactions involved and therefore the evolution of different phases formed in the RBBC ceramics. An increase in grain size of boron carbide particles through the coalescence of neighboring grains was observed at certain infiltration temperatures. The morphology of silicon carbide (SiC) phases developed from discontinuous and cloud-like SiC to continuous and integrated SiC zones with the increase of infiltration temperatures. With increasing temperatures up to 1600°C, the hardness, flexural strength, and fracture toughness all increased. When the temperatures exceeded 1600°C, while the hardness and flexural strength decreased, the fracture toughness continued to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: T cells have been demonstrated to exert central roles in the development of type 2 DN (T2DN). To explore whether Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm plays an important role in the development of T2DN, we investigated the proportions of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg cells and serum levels of relevant cytokines in T2DM patients with various degrees of nephropathy and controls. Moreover, we analyzed the relationships between the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm or relevant cytokines with urine albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR). Our study demonstrated that the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm skewed to Th1 and Th17 in T2DN patients. UACR was positively related to the proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells, as well as the ratio of Th17:Treg cells, and negatively related to the proportions of Treg cells. Furthermore, serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-10 were increased in T2DN patients, and positively related to UACR. These data indicate that the alteration of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm exists in T2DN patients, which may contribute to the enhanced immune activation and inflammation, and subsequent development and progression of T2DN. These findings may provide one new approach to the underlying mechanisms of the development of T2DN. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work proposed a model for transit schedule design by integrating the spatial-equity considerations into the slack-time setting problem. The proposed model can help to design a transit service for more equitable reliability of all stops distributed along the route. The transit operators' risk taking attitudes are also taken into consideration by introducing the travel-time budget (TTB) and mean-excess travel time (METT) as two risk measures. The proposed model can be formulated as a stochastic optimization problem and solved by a subsequently designed Monte Carlo (MC) simulation based genetic algorithm (GA) procedure. Scenario-based numerical examples from a real bus route in Beijing city of China are presented to demonstrate the characteristics of the model. The sensitivity of the parameters setting are also taken into consideration as well, which reflects the impact on the schedule setting of various factors including actual travel-time variability, risk-taking attitudes of transit operators, the bus drivers' adjustment, and bus-frequency setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Aged epidermal cells have the capacity to dedifferentiate into stem cell-like cells. However, the signals that regulate the dedifferentiation of aged epidermal cells remain unclear. Here, we provide evidence that Wnt/β-catenin is critical for aged epidermal cell dedifferentiation in vivo and in vitro. Some aged epidermal cells in human ultrathin epidermal sheets lacking basal stem cells transplanted onto wounds dedifferentiated into stem cell-like cells that were positive for CK19 and β1 integrin but negative for CK10. In addition, Wnt/β-catenin pathway was activated during this process. There was increased expression of Wnt-1, Wnt-4, Wnt-7a, β-catenin, cyclin D1, and c-myc. Secreted frizzled-related protein 1, a Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor, blocked dedifferentiation in vivo. Then, the activator, a highly specific glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β inhibitor, of Wnt/β-catenin pathway was added to the culture medium of aged epidermal cells. Surprisingly, we found that the activator induced higher expression of CK19, β1 integrin, Oct4, and Nanog proteins. The induced aged epidermal cells exhibited high colony-forming efficiency, long-term proliferative potential and could regenerate a skin equivalent (as do epidermal stem cells). These results suggested that activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway induced the dedifferentiation of aged epidermal cells, which suggest a new approach to generate epidermal stem cell-like cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We present a novel algorithm for computer simulation of breast anatomy for generation of anthropomorphic software breast phantoms. A realistic breast simulation is necessary for preclinical validation of volumetric imaging modalities.Methods: The anthropomorphic software breast phantom simulates the skin, regions of adipose and fibroglandular tissue, and the matrix of Cooper's ligaments and adipose compartments. The adipose compartments are simulated using a seeded region-growing algorithm; compartments are grown from a set of seed points with specific orientation and growing speed. The resulting adipose compartments vary in shape and size similar to real breasts; the adipose region has a compact coverage by adipose compartments of various sizes, while the fibroglandular region has fewer, more widely separated adipose compartments. Simulation parameters can be selected to cover the breadth of variations in breast anatomy observed clinically.Results: When simulating breasts of the same glandularity with different numbers of adipose compartments, the average compartment volume was proportional to the phantom size and inversely proportional to the number of simulated compartments. The use of the software phantom in clinical image simulation is illustrated by synthetic digital breast tomosynthesis images of the phantom. The proposed phantom design was capable of simulating breasts of different size, glandularity, and adipose compartment distribution. The region-growing approach allowed us to simulate adipose compartments with various size and shape. Qualitatively, simulated x-ray projections of the phantoms, generated using the proposed algorithm, have a more realistic appearance compared to previous versions of the phantom.Conclusions: A new algorithm for computer simulation of breast anatomy has been proposed that improved the realism of the anthropomorphic software breast phantom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veratryl alcohol (VA) is a product from the biodegradation of lignocellulosic biomass. The objective of this study was to explore the possibility whether VA could be used as the fuel of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) to generate power. Two types of MFCs, a two-chamber MFC and a single-chamber air-cathode MFC, were set up for experiments. In the two-chamber MFC, average maximum current outputs higher than 700 μA were obtained using various mixtures of glucose and VA as the fuel. The highest power density of 35.17 W m-3 was achieved using the mixture of 1000 mg L-1 glucose and 50 mg L-1 VA as the fuel. With 500 mg L-1 VA as the fuel in the MFC, we obtained an average maximum current output of 181 μA. In the single-chamber MFC, the maximum current output reached up to 178 μA with 500 mg L-1 VA in the fed-batch mode and the maximum CE reached 23.77% with 100 mg L-1 VA. At the end of all operation cycles of the MFCs, the glucose and VA were undetectable in the solution, and the removal efficiencies of COD were between 75% and 88%. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles of 16S rRNA gene indicated that the dominant species on the anode biofilm did not change significantly with the different substrates, but the abundance of some species increased greatly. The scanning electron micrographs showed that the most abundant bacteria on the electrode were bacilli. The dominant species belonged to bacteroidetes and proteobacterium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of pyridine biodegradation in the microbial fuel cell (MFC), from which electricity was generated. Experiments were initially conducted in a graphite-packed MFC (G-MFC) using a pyridine concentration of 500mg/L combined with different glucose concentrations. Pyridine of 500mg/L only used as the G-MFC fuel resulted in a maximal voltage of 116mV and a maximal power density of 1.7W/m3. The maximal voltage reached within 12h when pyridine was totally depleted. The glucose supplement with concentrations of 500, 250, and 100mg/L resulted in the maximum voltages of 623, 538, and 349mV, respectively, correspondingly the maximal volumetric power densities were 48.5, 36.2, and 15.2W/m3. Pyridine biodegradation rates reached 95% within 24h using the G-MFC. Interestingly, after 90d of acclimation, the biodegradation rates of pyridine in the G-MFC using pyridine only as the fuel were higher than those using the glucose–pyridine mixtures. Further experiments were conducted using a graphite fiber brush MFC (B-MFC). Compared to the G-MFC, the B-MFC enhanced the electrical charges by 89, 186, and 586% for the mixtures with ratios of glucose-to-pyridine of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:5, respectively. GC/MS analyses of the anode solution indicated that the metabolism of pyridine in the MFC was initiated by ring reduction and NH3-N production. The results suggest that pyridine may be used as the MFC fuel in practical applications of wastewater treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Magnetically assembled electrode (MAE) flexibly attracts magnetic particles (auxiliary electrodes, AEs) on a main electrode (ME) by the magnetic force, where the role of ME is always ignored. In this study, Ti/Pt, Ti/RuO 2 -IrO 2 -TiO 2 and Ti/Sb-SnO 2 were selected as the ME for comparison in treating synthetic wastewater (acid red G or phenol) with variable Cl- content. The effects of ME type, loading amount of Fe 3 O 4 /Sb-SnO 2 AEs, and Cl- concentration were investigated, followed by varied electrochemical characterizations. Results show that AEs played a vital role in electrode activity and selectivity, and MEs also exerted an unignorable influence on the performance of the MAEs. Among the three MEs, Ti/RuO 2 -IrO 2 -TiO 2 has the best OER/CER ability, activating more extra active sites with same AEs loading amount, leading to higher organics degradation efficiency under chlorine-free condition. However, this MAE is featured by the noticeable accumulation of intermediate products under chlorine-free condition even if 0.3 g·cm−2 of AEs are loaded. All electrodes' performances were enhanced in the presence of Cl-. With high concentration chloride (0.5 M NaCl), the accumulation of intermediate products was reduced significantly, especially on Ti/RuO 2 -IrO 2 -TiO 2 based MAE, and no chlorinated compound was identified. Finally, the structure-activity relationships of these MAEs were proposed. [Display omitted] • A new anode architecture was organized by magnetic force. • Main electrodes with different OER/CER activity were compared. • Magnetic particles could effectively increase the less accessible active sites. • The structure-activity relationships under variable Cl- content were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Whole-genome characterization of Rosa chinensis AP2/ERF transcription factors and analysis of negative regulator RcDREB2B in Arabidopsis" published in BMC Genomics. The correction states that there was an error in Figure 7 of the original article, where the same photo was used for two different conditions. The correct Figure 7 is provided in the correction article. The correction also includes a graph and statistical analyses related to seed germination and root growth in response to ABA. The correction is authored by Wei Li, Ziwen Geng, Cuiping Zhang, Kuiling Wang, and Xinqiang Jiang. [Extracted from the article]

For the dissection and identification of the molecular response mechanisms to salt stress in cannabis, an experiment was conducted surveying the diversity of physiological characteristics. RNA-seq profiling was carried out to identify differential expression genes and pathway which respond to salt stress in different cannabis materials. The result of physiological diversity analyses showed that it is more sensitive to proline contents in K94 than in W20; 6 h was needed to reach the maximum in K94, compared to 12 h in W20. For profiling 0–72 h after treatment, a total of 10,149 differentially expressed genes were identified, and 249 genes exhibited significantly diverse expression levels in K94, which were clustered in plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway. A total of 371 genes showed significant diversity expression variations in W20, which were clustered in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction pathway. The pathway enrichment by genes which were identified in K94 and W20 showed a similar trend to those clustered in plant hormone signal transduction pathways and MAPK signaling. Otherwise, there were 85 genes which identified overlaps between the two materials, indicating that these may be underlying genes related to salt stress in cannabis. The 86.67% agreement of the RNA-seq and qRT-PCR indicated the accuracy and reliability of the RNA-seq technique. Additionally, the result of physiological diversity was consistent with the predicted RNA-seq-based findings. This research may offer new insights into the molecular networks mediating cannabis to respond to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used in various studies to induce immunomodulatory effects in clinical conditions associated with immune dysregulation such as graft versus host disease (GvHD). However, most of these clinical trials failed to go beyond early phase 2 studies because of limited efficacy. Various methods have been assessed to increase the potency of MSCs. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that is known to modulate immune responses in GvHD. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of transfecting IL-10 mRNA to enhance MSC therapeutic potential. IL-10 mRNA engineered MSCs (eMSCs-IL10) maintained high levels of IL-10 expression even after freezing and thawing. IL-10 mRNA transfection did not appear to alter MSC intrinsic characteristics. eMSCs-IL10 significantly suppressed T cell proliferation relative to naïve MSCs in vitro. In a mouse model for GvHD, eMSCs-IL10 induced a decrease in plasma level of potent pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibited CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation in the spleen. In summary, our studies demonstrate the feasibility of potentiating MSCs to enhance their immunomodulatory effects by IL-10 mRNA transfection. The use of non-viral transfection may generate a safe and potent MSC product for treatment of clinical conditions associated with immune dysregulation such as GvHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]